Interreligious Meeting in the Chapter Hall of St. Mary's Cathedral
in Sydney

Pope Benedict XVI

On Friday 18 July 2008, Pope Benedict met with and addressed the
representatives of the non-Christian religions present in
Australia.

Dear Friends,

I extend cordial greetings of peace and goodwill to all of you who
are here representing various religious traditions in Australia.
Grateful for this encounter, I thank Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence and Sheikh
Shardy for the words of welcome which they expressed in their own name
and on behalf of your respective communities.

Australia is renowned for the congeniality of its people towards
neighbour and visitor alike. It is a nation that holds freedom of
religion in high regard. Your country recognizes that a respect for this
fundamental right gives men and women the latitude to worship God
according to their conscience, to nurture their spirits, and to act upon
the ethical convictions that stem from their beliefs.

A harmonious relationship between religion and public life is all the
more important at a time when some people have come to consider religion
as a cause of division rather than a force for unity. In a world
threatened by sinister and indiscriminate forms of violence, the unified
voice of religious people urges nations and communities to resolve
conflicts through peaceful means and with full regard for human dignity.
One of the many ways religion stands at the service of mankind is by
offering a vision of the human person that highlights our innate
aspiration to live generously, forging bonds of friendship with our
neighbours. At their core, human relations cannot be defined in terms of
power, domination and self-interest. Rather, they reflect and perfect
man’s natural inclination to live in communion and accord with others.

The religious sense planted within the human heart opens men and
women to God and leads them to discover that personal fulfilment does
not consist in the selfish gratification of ephemeral desires. Rather,
it leads us to meet the needs of others and to search for concrete ways
to contribute to the common good. Religions have a special role in this
regard, for they teach people that authentic service requires sacrifice
and self-discipline, which in turn must be cultivated through
self-denial, temperance and a moderate use of the world’s goods. In this
way, men and women are led to regard the environment as a marvel to be
pondered and respected rather than a commodity for mere consumption. It
is incumbent upon religious people to demonstrate that it is possible to
find joy in living simply and modestly, generously sharing one’s surplus
with those suffering from want.

Friends, these values, I am sure you will agree, are particularly
important to the adequate formation of young people, who are so often
tempted to view life itself as a commodity. They also have an aptitude
for self-mastery: indeed, in sports, the creative arts, and in academic
studies, they readily welcome it as a challenge. Is it not true that
when presented with high ideals, many young people are attracted to
asceticism and the practice of moral virtue through self-respect and a
concern for others? They delight in contemplating the gift of creation
and are intrigued by the mystery of the transcendent. In this regard,
both faith schools and State schools could do even more to nurture the
spiritual dimension of every young person. In Australia, as elsewhere,
religion has been a motivating factor in the foundation of many
educational institutions, and rightly it continues to occupy a place in
school curricula today. The theme of education frequently emerges from
the deliberations of the Interfaith Cooperation for Peace and Harmony,
and I warmly encourage those participating in this initiative to
continue the conversation about the values that integrate the
intellectual, human and religious dimensions of a sound education.

The world’s religions draw constant attention to the wonder of human
existence. Who can help but marvel at the power of the mind to grasp the
secrets of nature through scientific discovery? Who is not stirred by
the possibility of forming a vision for the future? Who is not impressed
by the power of the human spirit to set goals and to develop ways of
achieving them? Men and women are endowed with the ability not only to
imagine how things might be better, but to invest their energies to make
them better. We are conscious of our unique relationship to the natural
realm. If, then, we believe that we are not subject to the laws of the
material universe in the same way as the rest of creation, should we not
make goodness, compassion, freedom, solidarity, and respect for every
individual an essential part of our vision for a more humane future?

Yet religion, by reminding us of human finitude and weakness, also
enjoins us not to place our ultimate hope in this passing world. Man is
"like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow" (Ps 144:4). All of
us have experienced the disappointment of falling short of the good we
wish to accomplish and the difficulty of making the right choice in
complex situations.

The Church shares these observations with other religions. Motivated
by charity, she approaches dialogue believing that the true source of
freedom is found in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Christians believe
it is he who fully discloses the human potential for virtue and
goodness, and he who liberates us from sin and darkness. The
universality of human experience, which transcends all geographical
boundaries and cultural limitations, makes it possible for followers of
religions to engage in dialogue so as to grapple with the mystery of
life’s joys and sufferings. In this regard, the Church eagerly seeks
opportunities to listen to the spiritual experience of other religions.
We could say that all religions aim to penetrate the profound meaning of
human existence by linking it to an origin or principle outside itself.
Religions offer an attempt to understand the cosmos as coming from and
returning to this origin or principle. Christians believe that God has
revealed this origin and principle in Jesus, whom the Bible refers to as
the "Alpha and Omega" (cf. Rev 1:8; 22:1).

My dear friends, I have come to Australia as an ambassador of peace.
For this reason, I feel blessed to meet you who likewise share this
yearning and the desire to help the world attain it. Our quest for peace
goes hand in hand with our search for meaning, for it is in discovering
the truth that we find the sure road to peace (cf. Message for World Day
of Peace, 2006). Our effort to bring about reconciliation between
peoples springs from, and is directed to, that truth which gives purpose
to life. Religion offers peace, but more importantly, it arouses within
the human spirit a thirst for truth and a hunger for virtue. May we
encourage everyone – especially the young – to marvel at the beauty of
life, to seek its ultimate meaning, and to strive to realize its sublime
potential!

With these sentiments of respect and encouragement, I commend you to
the providence of Almighty God, and I assure you of my prayers for you
and your loved ones, the members of your communities, and all the
citizens of Australia.